So, you exist. I.e., you’ve got a digital presence. And the media outlet you pitched has found your feed. While you don’t have to have a million followers, if you’re claiming to be an expert or thought leader in your field, what they see there should bear that out. There should be evidence of a depth of knowledge and a history of consistent outreach and engagement with high-level content, readers and others in your field. And this doesn’t happen overnight. So get started!
I think it’s important to say, too, that you don’t have to have a presence across eight different platforms. Or even three. Heck, really succeeding on one is plenty. And I’d encourage you not to bite off more than you can chew. Two is ideal for most folks, honestly. Instagram and Facebook work seamlessly together and give you a chance to catch most everyone. Taking on more than that runs the risk of stretching you too thin and burning you out. There’s only so much time in a day and you’re much, much better off mastering a platform or two than performing poorly and inconsistently across several. But, engage your audience, consistently present compelling and entertaining information and you’re going to make a statement to media, as they vet you and particularly if they follow you for future consideration, that you really do know your stuff, have a passion and depth of knowledge and aren’t just in it to make a quick buck.
Understand, by the way, that there are exceptions to every rule. Does not having a digital footprint disqualify you completely from getting media coverage? Of course not. There are other ways to display social proof and credentials. Other ways to market books, too (in fact, in a season one episode of The Book Publicist Podcast, we cover marketing books without social media with guest Sarah Bolme, the Director of the Christian Indie Publishing Association). But I’m not gonna lie—if you’re planning on writing future books … it’s in your best interest.
